Heat pumps are very popular for heating and cooling since they are an all-in-one solution. But, even these fantastic systems can have their problems from time to time. A common heat pump problem is for the reversing valve to get stuck in one mode.
While this can feel alarming, it’s usually an easy fix. And in fact, sometimes it’s not even a problem with your heat pump itself. If you think you need heat pump repair in Orange County, our team can help. In the meantime, you can keep reading to learn more about why your heat pump may be stuck in one mode and how to troubleshoot the problem.
Reversing Valve
Your heat pump has a reversing valve that is designed to help it switch between heating mode and cooling mode. This is unique to other types of air conditioning systems that have completely separate heaters. In that case, both systems are connected to your thermostat and your thermostat signals when one system should turn on, and the other system should turn off. In the case of a heat pump, your thermostat signals for the reversing valve to move from heating to cooling or vice versa on the same system.
Sometimes this reversing valve can get stuck in one mode and will not move to the other mode. If your reversing valve is stuck in the heating, it doesn’t matter how low you set the temperature on your thermostat, it won’t cool your home. When it comes to a reversing valve being stuck, it’s possible that the component is just plain old broken, although this usually only happens with much older heat pumps. Your reversing valve is designed to last over the life of the unit. If this happens, our team can replace the reversing valve and get your heat pump working again.
Refrigerant Leak
Sometimes your reversing valve gets stuck because of a refrigerant leak. The reversing valve connects to your refrigerant lines to reverse how the refrigerant flows for either heating or cooling. If there’s not enough refrigerant in the line, your reversing valve may not be able to switch as it should. Our team can visit your home, find the refrigerant leak, repair it and get your heat pump back in good working order.
Thermostat Problems
Other times, your reversing valve getting stuck has absolutely nothing to do with your heat pump at all. Instead, it is a problem with your thermostat. It’s possible that your thermostat gets miss calibrated and cannot communicate as it should with your heat pump. When you switch from heating to cooling mode, your thermostat is not able to make the connection with your heat pump to signal that change.
Our team can recalibrate your thermostat if this is the case. Are there thermostat problems that can affect the reversing valve including your thermostat being dirty and needing to be cleaned out or your thermostat batteries being low. If your thermostat is particularly outdated, we may need to replace it with an entirely new unit.
Contact RKM Heating and Air Conditioning today to schedule an appointment with our team of experts. Done Right, Priced Right.